Improvement in car-couplings



G. HILTZ & W. H. PROVOST.

CAR-COUPLING. .1 9194} Patented June 27,1876. No 7 I, y I

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VIII I VII/I/I/I/A GEORGE HILTZ AND WILLIAM H. PROVOST, OF SORANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,194, dated June 27, 1876; application filed February 1, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE HILTZ and WM. H. PROVOS'I, of Scranton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 3 is a view of a modification, of our invention.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the same parts.

Our invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of automatic car-couplings, so as to render them stronger, prevent their accidental uncoupling, and to obviate the necessity of going between the cars to operate them.

To these ends our invention consists in certain improved details of construction and combinations of devices, which we will now proceed to describe, and point out in the claim.

In the drawings, A represents the drawhead, having the usual flaring mouth, and cast or otherwise formed with a central longitudinal rib or block, B. O is the coupling-pin pivoted to the upper part of the draw-head, its lower end resting in a shallow vertical recess in the rear end of the block B, as shown in Fig. 2. The front face of the block B is beveled off, so as to offer no obstruction to the entrance of the link, and its rear face is curved, as seen at b, to form a shoulder, under which the link rests when the cars are in motion.

By this arangement it will be seen that as the link enters the draw-head, it passes up the inclined face of the block B, strikes the coupling-pin G, swings it back and drops down hehind the block. The pin then returns to its normal position and the coupling is complete. As the cars start the link slips under the curved shoulder b, and is thereby prevented from riding up on the pin. The strain is,

therefore, always directly upon the block and never upon the coupling-pin.

D D are buffers, located on each side of the draw-head, and connected to the draw-head or the platform of the car in any suitable manner, their function being to protect the platforms from injury.

The devices for uncoupling the cars consist of a block, E, fitting an opening, F, extending through the bottom of the draw-head, and in rear of the block B. To uncouple the cars the pin 0 is swung back, and a handle, H, suitably connected to the sliding block E, is operated so as to force the block E upward, and raise the link sufficiently far to clear the block B, and permit its withdrawal.

The inner rear wall of the draw-head is recessed at I to receive the end of the link, and hold it in a horizontal position to present it properly to the draw-head of an approaching car.

The lifter E must be lowered, by means of its lever, to allow the link to move back, and then may be raised. When in place, the lifter being raised behind it, holds it securely in place.

Fig. 3 represents a modification of our invention. In this form the central rib or block B is beveled or rounded off at its rear end, so that when the coupling-pin is swung back, the link can be withdrawn without the aid of a sliding block.-

We claim as our invention The draw-head A, formed with a central rib or block, B, with a recess in rear thereof to receive the link, and retain it in position, in combination with the swinging pin (J, resting in recess in block B, and with the lifting device E, when the same is arranged to lift or look the link in the manner shown, the lifting device being operated by a lever, as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE HILTZ. WILLIAM H. rnovosr.

WVitnesses DUNCAN WRIGHT, LEWIS S. WATRES. 

